In a casual world, he cuts to fit

Robert Hill, owner of Robert Hill Custom Tailors, alters a jacket at his downtown Birmingham shop.Wearing a tailored shirt, a tie and sus­penders, Robert Hill, 68, sits in front of a sewing machine. With a tape measure around his neck and a toothpick in his mouth, Hill spends his days measuring, pinning and stitching. He can be seen from the street through a doorway at

the back of his store, head bent over whatever piece he’s altering or cre­ating that day. "In this business, you have to be pa­tient," he says. He originally started sewing because of his height. Hill is 5 feet 4. "I was short and couldn’t find clothes." Job stability also played a part — people always need clothes. But competition used to be much greater, he said, and people’s styles have changed. People took pride in their appearance and the quality of clothing they wore. Peo­ple going to casual attire hurt the clothing business." But Hill still gets enough work to keep him sewing. "I don’t think I’ll ever be able to retire. I may cut back on some of my days, but I don’t think I’ll be able to retire. I enjoy what I do, you know?"